Clematis is a World Wide plant with societies celebrating it all over the world. It is considered
to be one of the most popular and versatile garden plants, able to be grown on walls,
pergolas, frames, in containers or even allowed to scramble through trees and shrubs. Some
of the plants can withstand temperatures of -34 degrees!

There are Clematis which will flower in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and can range
in height from 15cm - 9m (6” - "28 ft). They will tolerate either sun or partial shade and are
mostly hardy and moderately easy to grow. However, what a Clematis dislikes above all, is to
be waterlogged, preferring a water-retentive soil which is well drained.

Some gardeners advocate that it is helpful to shade the roots by placing old crocks/stones or
tiles at the base of the plant. However, this is probably not to be advised as these can
provide safe haven for slugs and snails., who are quite partial to tender, young, green shoots!

Maintenance of your clematis plants will benefit from an application of a potassium-rich
fertiliser from Spring onwards, such as Vitax-Q4, Osmacote, or Fish, Blood and Bone and
then mulch with organic matter such as well-rotted manure or garden compost. If you are
planting in containers, feeding on a regular basis is essential.

Clematis fall into 3 categories...

For more on this article, click here to read or download the full article.